Forget Goodbye
by d-n-aineil
Summary: SnowxHope 2 years after the fall of Cocoon, life is finally starting to settle until an incident throws their life back into chaos, and poor Hope is caught smack dab in the middle. Yaoi Warning but Shonen-ai for right now.
1. Ch 1: A Fal'Cie Awakening

Disclaimer: The characters in the story aren't not mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game. Thanks... :)

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Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 1: A Fal'Cie Awakening  
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Letting out a winded sigh, a figure hauling a basket full of freshly picked strawberries, sluggishly walked back to his intended destination. If anyone noticed his barely there look, no one had said anything. Although that might account to the fact that everyone around him was way too busy planning an extremely delayed wedding to barely notice a silver haired boy with light skin to match, dragging his feet as he walked through the newly built strawberry field just a small distance away from the village.

It was a little sad to say that the boy was depressed. He'd be turning 16 in about a week, but no one has yet to realize this fact save his dad. So with a down trodden look, he kept walking on back to his house which he now resides in with his dad. The house Hope and his dad stayed in was the same one that Vanille had once lived in. It wasn't bad, especially since he had Lightning, Serah and Snow as neighbors on the house next to them, and Sazh and his kid, Dajh, at the other side.

It was a unanimous consensus within the group that they'll reside in Oerba and start their life there anew. It wasn't easy of course, after all, there were Cei'ths and other creatures around which they took care of first. Without their magic and eidolons, it seemed that only Lightning, Snow and Sazh were fit for battle. In those brief moments, Hope missed the fact that he could hold off enemies on his own if he wanted as a L'Cie, but the downside of having those powers were the fact that he could either be crystallized or be turned to Cie'th, depending on whether or not he rejected his focus.

It took them the better part of the year to rid themselves of the monsters and revive the village to its former glory. Houses were rebuilt and those that were in an irreparable state were ultimately replaced. The roads were paved over once more, and even the land was beginning to thrive. Green traces of grass could now be found wherever you look. They weren't alone in this endeavor either because the survivors from Cocoon had come to reside in the village as well. Their numbers were still significantly great and they expanded the village to accommodate the great numbers. Others decided to stake lands in other places, but with Gran Pulse being such a great big land, they remained close to other populated places to prevent being completely isolated.

"What's eating you, squirt?" asked the stationary figure whom Hope hadn't noticed in lieu to his line of thoughts as he walked inside the house.

"Huh? What?" asked the boy towards the larger figure of Snow. At the age of almost 16, Hope was still barely able to reach the older man's shoulders. He did get taller, but if you compared his build to Snow who just so happened to be 6'5" then you'd think he barely grew an inch.

"Never mind, you just looked a bit too preoccupied to notice that you were dropping your stash of strawberries is all," said Snow with an implied tone of amusement lacing his every word. Hope immediately looked at his basket to see that he really was losing his freshly picked berries.

"Oh man! I worked hard to get the freshly ripened ones too!" Hope whined as he walked into his residence. He didn't bother picking up the strawberries since Bhakti had already begun the task of picking up the fallen berries.

"Heh, must be nice to have that little tin can do your chores for you, Serah is still on a kick on how I need to be more helpful around the house and all that," stated Snow as he watched the small bucket of bolts run around gathering the berries and piling them up on one side.

"I guess, but I never really ask it to clean, it just does it by itself," Hope paused and a small smile graced his lips before he continued, "If I had to guess, Vanille programmed it to do that since she's not one for cleaning either." Snow chuckled at the remark half heartedly; it was hard to laugh sincerely when it reminded him of their allies that they lost during the struggles with the Fal'Cie. Snow looked at Hope and saw the same crest fallen look and figured that the boy felt the same as he did when talking about their old allies.

"By the way," started Snow, "I actually came here to let you know that Light was looking for you. I think she wants you to look after Dajh again or something like that and your dad told me to let you know that he'll be late today since they're trying to finish cultivating the land up north." Hope gave a small nod in acknowledgement and passed the towering blonde intending to clean the berries to properly store them. Snow followed when Hope gave a silent acknowledgement in hopes that he can snatch a couple of the big red berries he saw stashed in Hope's basket.

When Hope had finished washing the strawberries, but before he could finish putting them away, Snow snatched a couple of the plump berries earning him a glare from the smaller boy. Snow merely smiled and offered a strawberry to the younger man. Hope felt a little peeved so he took the offered strawberry and almost bit Snow's fingers, but Snow was able to retract his fingers before Hope got to them.

Sticking out his tongue at the tall blond, Hope trudged on over to the fridge and stored the strawberries for future consumption. With everything stashed away, Hope went on over to the small robot and petted its head as if petting a cat or something of equivalent, though if you ask him, the small robot reminds him of a rabbit instead.

"I'm heading out, lock the doors when you leave," said Hope towards the tall blond who stretched out on the couch with his hands behind his head as if trying to get some sleep. Snow muttered lowly and Hope took that as a sign of agreement and headed out.

The boy walked along the now memorized road, but before heading off to Light's home only a couple of steps away, he caught sight of a flashing light off into the near distance. He'd estimate the light to be just about where the rust-eaten bridge ended. Entirely curious as to what caused the flashes of light to shine so strongly, he scampered of to investigate.

Running in haste, Hope finally managed to get to his destination just as quickly even if he was ultimately winded. He looked around his surroundings, but did not find a just cause for the light to have reflected at that magnitude. It was almost blinding even at such a distance. Standing so close to the part where the bridge ended, Hope looked down and saw nothing of interest besides the stretch of sand that went on for miles.

Deflated at the thought that there was anything there at all, Hope decided to just return hoping that his quick absence wouldn't be met with curiosity. He really wouldn't even be able to explain the urge he had to run all the way out there without much thought.

As he turned to leave, a sudden rocking of the earth made him lose his balance and he found himself standing on the now crumbling bridge. Unable to quickly react, he found himself falling but not quite hitting the ground.

As if hovering, he stood suspended in mid air as the crumbled part of the bridge fell below him, hitting the sand with an almost inaudible thud.

"What the-?" Hope could only stare in shock as a shining creature came forth from the sandy ground. It looked like a small cat but looked to be about the same size as the chocobo chick that Sazh lets live in his hair with blond fur to match. It had a blue shining gem on its forehead that shone brightly for a couple of seconds before fading, but the glow that its body gave off remained constant. It flew up to Hope and landed on his shoulders.

It was then that Hope's body started to float on up until his feet touched the bridge once more. Even if the creature looked captivating, Hope knew that it's no ordinary creature, if he took a wild guess, he'd have to say that it was a Fal'Cie but with the creature being so small it might not be.

Not knowing what to say, he at least deduced that the creature might have been what caused the light he saw not too long ago. Now that he was safe, he petted the little guy who had just helped him out.

"Are you a Fal'Cie?" asked Hope, without even knowing if the critter could speak much like Barthandelus or if it preferred to be silent like the Phoenix Fal'Cie. As if to understand the question the small cat-like creature nodded but vaguely until ultimately speaking.

"I'm in need of a L'Cie, will you grant me my need?" asked the small Fal'Cie. If it hadn't been clear to Hope what the creature was, now it was glaringly obvious. Stumbling backwards, away from the small creature as if burned, Hope looked at the small creature not wanting anything to do with it.

"I- I can't, I don't want to, please don't make me," said Hope pleadingly as if his life was at stake, though in this case, his transformation would truly mean his life's forfeit.

"Please, you must, the world is once again at stake," said the Fal'Cie in urgency.

"What do you mean?" asked the young boy.

"I called to you for I am certain that it is you whom I need, I laid sleeping for over a millennia as a last resort for the land of Gran Pulse, my destiny do not tie myself from the Fal'Cie that you have faced in the past," explained the Fal'Cie.

"But I don't understand, what is about to happen that I'll be in need?" asked Hope, hoping to find a way around the transformation the Fal'Cie before him now asks.

"I can't see the future now as clearly as I could before, but I see great calamity about to happen and Ragnarok will once again be needed for this task," the Fal'Cie hovered near Hope once more before speaking once more, "you know by now that Ragnarok is only the tool, and that your will is your focus so I don't need to explain further that fulfilling this duty will crystallize your form, but I fear that your life is not the only one in harm's way." The Fal'Cie, small as it may seem held a wisdom that transcended through the ages, and this time, its knowledge is put to use only to service the humankind, just as the Maker had originally intended.

"Why do you tell me this, rather than manipulate us like Barthandalus?" asked Hope in hopes of clearing his troubled mind if he does partake in this transformation willingly. Hope couldn't deny that ever since they had settled in Oerba, he felt insignificant in the eyes of the others. Snow was too preoccupied with his soon to be wife to pay him mind any longer than needed, it seemed to him that Serah now claimed the attention of those around him. He wanted to be alright with it, but he knew that he only felt this way because he was jealous… jealous of what Serah had that he didn't nor could ever get.

"I don't live by the rules that govern the other Fal'Cie, I am an immortal that bypasses human and Fal'Cie alike, I live only in breath of the Maker. I can't change what he intends for me, but I have gained the ability to think and act for myself ever since the destruction of Orphan transpired in you and your friend's hands, now I only ask for your help to save the countless lives I see forfeit," explained the small Fal'Cie in hopes of gaining Hope's favor.

"Alright, as long as I bear this alone, I'll do your bidding. Just at least tell me your name before you turn me," stated Hope.

"I am without a name," said the Fal'Cie in turn.

"I'll call you Kirin," said Hope before taking the small Fal'Cie in his hands to accept the transformation willingly. At least, he'll finally be able to be of use once more, and this time he'll start the fight for all the right reasons.

To signal the transformation, the newly named Fal'Cie stiffened its tail until it resembled a needle and poked through the skin of the boy's wrist just enough until black ink bled out from the tail and grafted itself onto the skin much like how a tattoo is imprinted onto the skin, though the difference with this is that it did not require repeated jabbing for the ink spread underneath the skin until finally settling to create the mark of a L'Cie.

Light enveloped Hope as the mark was sealed onto place and visions came at him much like before. Hope could see destruction and lifeless bodies in the vision until it was all wiped away by a burst of light springing from the shadows and creating new life in the process.

Once the vision ended, Hope's body shuddered in intensity before nausea caught up with him. It finally became too much and Hope fainted, falling slack while Kirin watched the boy in sympathy.

"I hope your will is strong enough to overcome the challenge that awaits you, I'm afraid that your future is conflicted as of this moment, I see both failure and successful; now, only time will tell if we are to survive this wave of darkness." The Fal'Cie disappeared into thin air and at that instant, approaching figures approached.

"Look at that mark!" exclaimed one of the figures.

"No! How could this have happened?!"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Hmmm…. Leave me a review please :)


	2. Ch 2: An Unfamiliar Face

Disclaimer: The characters in the story aren't not mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game. Thanks... :)

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****Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 2: An Unfamiliar Face  
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Hope awoke with a groan and found himself in his room along with confusion as the byproduct. He remembered everything that had transpired with the Fal'Cie he named Kirin, but what he couldn't remember was how he ended up in his bed when he could distinctly remember losing consciousness at the bridge.

He quickly remembered that he had the mark of the L'Cie once again, and whoever might have brought him back from home would have ultimately seen it. He unconsciously reached for his left wrist as if to cover the newly formed brand. There wasn't much use in feigning innocence over that obvious fact if anyone found out since he knowingly and willingly allowed the transformation to happen.

"You're finally awake," said Snow in an even tone as he walked in unnoticed by the silver haired boy. Snow took note of the way Hope held on to his wrist as if to hide the mark of a L'Cie, but Snow's instinct told him that the simple gesture meant more than what it seemed. Without speaking, Snow sat on the foot of the bed, and just waited for the young man to speak his mind. Personally, Snow would rather just hash out the problem, tackle it, then ultimately solve it… but at the moment, he couldn't even think of a way to solve the problem at hand.

"I'm scared," started Hope. The young man let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding in. He looked up at Snow's watchful eyes, hoping to find some form of courage to help him but he couldn't find anything behind those unsure blue eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Snow, hoping to get an answer out of the boy. He sat there waiting for an answer to grace the silence that felt almost suffocating in that small room.

It was strange, really, to be talking to Snow so calmly. Hope couldn't look at the normally arrogant man in front of him, so his eyes wandered around his room from the lampshade beside him and even to the list of notes containing things to do tacked up on the wall.

"I- I don't if I can do this," said Hope. His voice was shaky, but then continued, "I don't know if I really thought out the consequences when I signed up for this." The silverette's head lowered and opted to looking at his intertwined fingers.

"It's not like we ever signup to be turned into L'Cie, so don't worry about it," said Snow in a reassuring voice, but he faltered when Hope shook his head to refute what the blond had just said.

"But that's the thing, I did this voluntarily," said Hope as he looked up at Snow. He waited for the blond to ask the obvious question but the blonde sat silently as if waiting for him to explain. So he continued, "I met this Fal'Cie by the rust-eaten bridge and he asked me for help. I could have refused to do his bidding, but I ultimately decided to say yes because he presented me a strong argument as to why I was needed, but now, I'm not even sure I can do that after seeing what's to come."

"Fuck, so you're telling me you signed up to relive the hell we went through trying to rid ourselves of the Fal'Cie who tried to control us in the first place. What were you thinking?!" Snow's tone went up by about a decibel and this caused Hope to feel like half of what he was. He does remember the reason why they started to fight back, because it was either do something or wait until the transformation took its course and turn them into Cie'ths.

"I didn't do this for myself okay! I was doing this because everyone that I cared about and other innocents are bound to die if I don't," as Hope answered back, he couldn't back it up with real conviction since he himself did not believe that to be the only reason. If he looked in his heart of hearts, then he'd have probably surmised that he did this because he felt insignificant. It wasn't even that he started feeling this a week before, he started feeling a tad bit insignificant when they had returned to Oerba to inhabit the land.

"You could still have at least asked for our help instead of tackling this by yourself!" answered Snow back at the younger man. "Did you really think we'd just stand by rather than do something about it? Are we really that unreliable?" Snow's tone of voice was even, but the hurt was evident behind it.

"You don't understand! I knew that all of you might try and help, that's why I had to do this by myself! You and Serah are about to be married, Dajh is finally reunited with Sazh, and I didn't want Serah to lose Light again! I had to do this!" Hope's fists were shaking and his head felt muddled that he couldn't think straight now. Hope's breath hitched for a couple seconds before his breathing became more erratic and seemed harder to come by. It was then that the mark on Hope's wrist started to glow an angry red.

Hope and Snow looked panicked as the summoning started so Hope yelled at the taller man to run and take everyone around them to safety and evacuate until he had things under control. Snow didn't say anything and had rushed out of the room to warn everyone that was in the vicinity.

All of a sudden, a big red ball appeared from his mark and grew until it looked about the size of an Adamantortoise. Hope expected to see the familiar face of Alexander when the red ball dissipated, but what greeted him was unexpected. Thirteen figures emerged, each one of a different color and each held a different weapon ranging from axes, staffs, staves, spears, and even swords. Each of them looked just like Odin when initially summoned by Lightning, but Hope held his ground.

"I guess this is what I get for second guessing myself, but now I have to prove to myself that I can do this!" Hope ran to attack one of the soldiers in the line of 13 but before he could reach his intended target, 12 of the other knights backed off as if to say that they were not interested in fighting. However, the one that stayed drew a sword from its sheath and Hope knew that this was eidolon that the test is centered around on.

Hope reacted quickly as he casted a series of magic attacks that varied in elemental damages towards the opponent. When none of it seemed effective, he switched to using a magical non-elemental attack like Ruin and Ruinga. Neither of which seemed to affect the said Eidolon either. As the first wave of spells ended, the knight charged at Hope with the humungous sword in tow. As the sword came down with great force, Hope jumped away, barely missing the sword that created a dent in the land that previously cradled his home.

Even as Hope was able to dodge the blow, the impact was massive and caused the debris to hit him with great force. Injured by the indirect impact, Hope casted a couple of cure spells on himself to get back up to his feet.

"My magic doesn't work from so far away. I need to get closer," said Hope out loud. When the knight swung down with the sword for a second time, Hope casted an aero spell just right below him to propel himself on top of knight's shoulder. Without missing a beat, Hope casted a series of Watergas that scattered itself across the visible land. When the knight and the land was drenched in water, Hope used an Aeroga spell to propel himself from the knight's shoulder and hover on air as the water around them collected, mimicking a massive hurricane before casting a barrage of Thundagas that were amplified by the water's presence.

When the knight visibly knelt in defeat, Hope called out his crystal and shattered it allowing the knight to know that the battle is over. To show that the Eidolon has surrendered, it went on to its Gestalt mode by merging with the other knights.

Six of the knights turned into wheels, with two of the other knights transforming into the tire chains that held three of each together. The other four knights melded together and created the body while the last knight, whom Hope had fought, reconstructed itself into the cannon. The ending result was a humungous tank, which Hope stared in awe. A couple of seconds passed by and Hope dismissed the eidolon, allowing it to dissipate into thin air.

With the battle over, Hope saw the destruction that followed and frowned in disappointment. The only solace he could find was that no one was hurt, and he probably had to thank Snow for that later.

"That wasn't Alexander," was what Hope first heard as Sazh came into view, "care to explain?"

"I'm a L'Cie again, what's there to explain," muttered Hope lowly. He didn't want to be treated like a monster, but he knew the repercussions in allowing this to happen so he'll just bear with it for now. At least, the most important people in his life will still be able to lead normal, happy lives unencumbered by the burden of what's to come.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, but what I'd like to know is why you're a L'Cie again," countered Lightning as she got to the scene with Serah trailing just behind her who held on to Snow for dear life. It didn't make immediate sense to Hope at the time, but he felt slightly irritated. He should have been a little relieved that he was able to defeat such a strong eidolon in battle by himself but now he just felt like rolling his eyes towards the back of his head. It was such a foreign feeling for Hope to be jealous. He had felt the array of emotions from rage and so on, but jealousy was something he wasn't accustomed to.

"Aww man, if only Kirin was here… he could probably explain it better," muttered Hope lowly. However, no such luck was given as the others gathered around him. While they waited for an explanation, Hope contemplated on whether or not to give in to the others. It was a look on Snow's face that caught Hope's eyes so he decided on letting the older man do all the talking. "I really can't explain right now, but I told Snow almost everything so he can tell you instead."

With that, Hope ran out of the circle and started with the search for his father to explain everything. He didn't want to leave his dad alone to go on another journey, but it seems that he must do so one more time. He might not be able to see his father's face again if this played out in the way he thought out, but being able to say goodbye before leaving will be better than not having had the chance to talk. This time, he won't be able to smile as he leaves, but he'll be able to at least pretend to do so.

It didn't take long for Hope to find his father. The commotion had gotten most of the people in the vicinity to come out of their houses just in time to watch a silver haired young man fight off an eidolon. It fascinated and terrified the people at the same time that a kid like that could fight off something that big and monstrous, but they knew the implications of being a L'Cie. The transformation will bring on unseemly powers, but at the cost of one's own life. They now knew that L'Cies are neither monsters by themselves or contagious, but they were still apprehensive over the fact that they held powers inside themselves that overreach the limits of a mere mortal.

"Dad." Hope paused in front of his old man as he tried to force the words to come out. His dad only nodded in acknowledgement, but Hope saw right through it and found himself in the warm embrace of the man.

"You have to go again right." It was more a statement than a question. Hope only nodded within the arms of the older man. He felt like a small child being comforted by his father, but none the less, it felt good.

"Don't worry, he won't be alone!" proclaimed Snow as he and the rest of the other members walked towards the pair.

Shrugging out of his dad's embrace, Hope made a point to glare at Snow before declining the offered help.

"Actually, you have no choice, I'm going with you and that's that," said Lightning seriously. "I've come to treat you like a brother so you can't just up and leave now without me."

"But you guys aren't L'Cie anymore; you'll be endangered without your powers." Hope felt elated that they wanted to do this with him but he just couldn't let them take that risk.

"You seem to forget, I've been fighting long before I became a L'Cie," Lightning gave Hope a small grin that allowed him to relax from his stance a little bit. In any case, there was no use arguing with the woman when she set her mind onto it.

"I'm coming too," announced Snow.

"But what about the wedding?" asked Hope. "You guys have postponed it for such a long time."

"It'll be alright, me and the future missus will be taking care of the wedding details, and when you guys arrive… It'll be a blast," assured Sazh while Serah nodded in agreement.

"I really don't have a choice now do I?" Hope smiled up at his friends, but felt a small pang of pain somewhere in his chest. He wanted to say something else, but Light and Snow's expectant faces made him back down. "Thanks."

Hope watched those around him talk about the details of what's to come, but something troubled him deep down.

"Actually, I was thinking, maybe you should leave the day after tomorrow, that way you'll be prepared," said Hope's father and the others just nodded in agreement after considering it.

With something else weighing heavily in Hope's mind, Hope let the others talk things out. Even when his father asked him if he was alright he just smiled and nodded then walked away from the others while his smile slipped until a frown replaced them.

"What's wrong with me?" asked Hope more to himself as he clutched his chest as if the pain was more literal. "I need to know… I just need to…"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Thanks for all those lovely reviews!! I'll work hard to try and meet your standards! Thank You!


	3. Ch 3: A Prelude to Violence

Disclaimer: The characters in the story aren't mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game. Thanks... :)

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~**  
Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 3: A Prelude to Violence  
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_"I'll take care of you, I promised didn't I."_

It was the remnant of a dream and Hope knew it was; he could completely remember the way Snow looked as he was being carried by the impossibly tall blonde. It was on that day that he decided that Operation NORA was and will remain unsuccessful. He promised himself that he would no longer let the past get in the way of the future. But that was exactly what had happened, he wasn't able to let go of the past which led to his decision to become a L'Cie to reclaim the sense of camaraderie and familial bond that once held the group together.

Decidedly admitting to himself that thinking about trivial things wouldn't be fruitful, Hope couldn't help but feel elated over the fact that he's on another journey despite the people he has to leave behind. Nobody could really say what is to happen, maybe save for a certain Fal'Cie, so the only way to get to the future is to move forward. With a smile on his face, Hope quickly jumped into the shower adjoining the room. The last claw of drowsiness had swiftly withdrawn from him as soon as the cold water hit his naked body. Frozen on the spot, Hope reached for the knob to adjust the water's temperature. When the water was finally at the right temperature, he let the warm flow of the water hit his body, relaxing his muscles.

It felt nice to just stay underneath the constant spray of warm water. He figured that it might be a while before he'll be able to just laze around like this as if nothing was happening. The shower didn't last as long as he wanted since the water was losing warmth. He had almost forgotten that he wasn't at his own house, but the fact that he had no change of clothes tipped him off real quick. Hope was about to walk out of the room with nothing but a towel around his waist, but the laid out clothes on the bed caught his attention.

"Guess they left this for me," said Hope in a low voice but bellowed out a loud thank you just in case the person was still around. The thank you was answered back by a "you're welcome" in turn by a voice he concluded as Snow's and Hope smiled a small smile as he changed into the clothes he was given. It didn't take long for him to slip into the given clothes; it was a simple pair of jeans matched by a solid black v-neck shirt.

Hope wondered where they could have gotten clothes that fit him almost perfectly since he tended to be the smallest out of their group of friends. He didn't have time to wonder about the trivial matter any longer since he wanted to get the necessary items in order before they left.

He probably wouldn't have needed items like potions or phoenix downs, but since Snow and Lightning are no longer L'Cie and have no way of using healing spells then those items will be necessary in case of emergencies.

Bounding on out of the house, Hope bid a quick farewell to Lightning as he made a beeline for the nearest item shop. He could have sworn he passed by Serah crying but made little notice of it.

Hope left as quickly as he arrived. He grabbed everything that was needed, paid for it, and ran back to the house to pack up needed items. He ran up to his borrowed bedroom but remembered that he really had nothing there that was his. Without skipping a beat, he sought out Lightning and asked for a pack and was given a small backpack that wouldn't hinder his agility but would be able to carry the items needed.

Packed and ready to go, Hope set the bag aside. Before Hope could even think about relaxing, Kirin appeared from out of nowhere. First like a tiny bubble from the ground followed by a ghastly glow until the bubbles popped and out came the cat like creature.

"Kirin!" yelped Hope in surprise and toppled back hitting his butt onto the floor. "What are you doing here?" asked Hope.

"I came here to say that I'll be going with you!" replied Kirin happily.

"That might be a problem," said Hope followed by, "it's bad enough that people know there's still a Fal'Cie out there, but for me to walk around with you would just so not be ideal."

"Well, I don't have to look like a Fal'Cie, how about if I change my form to look human, would that work?" asked Kirin.

"I guess that would solve the looking like a human part, but that doesn't explain why you would be coming along with us when Sazh and Serah isn't even going," said Hope.

This predicament left the two in silence. Each of them was thinking of a way for the other to come with, but before either of them could say something the door opened and in came Lightning. Hope panicked for a second since the former L'Cie might have seen the Fal'Cie but when he looked next to him, Kirin had assumed the shape of a human boy.

Boy might have been the wrong word to use; the shape Kirin assumed would be more of a young man in his early twenties rather than a boy. Kirin, armed with a tall stature to rival Snow's, jet black hair that looks slightly mussed up on purpose giving it that come hither feel, and a lean but not an overly muscular body caught Hope and Lightning by surprise.

"I didn't realize you had a friend up here," said Lightning as she cleared her throat obviously blushing which totally contradicted her normally stoic personality.

"Oh! Umm, well-" Hope tried to explain but the obvious confusion in his voice told Kirin that he didn't know where to start.

"I'm Kirin, Hope's new friend," interjected Kirin in place of the young silverette who looked like he'd have a nervous breakdown any moment now.

"I see, weird that I've never seen you around here before though," said Lightning in a soft voice. It was more to herself than to the two other in the room but Kirin heard just fine in any case. Kirin was about to amend to his previous statement but was cut off by Hope who suddenly spoke up.

"Light, Kirin wants to go along with us," said Hope suddenly that it sounded more like a slur of words instead. It took Lightning a second or two before she completely deciphered what Hope had said and a quick no stomped on the request just like that.

"I can fight too," said Kirin, "so I can go with you guys."

"Look, this isn't like a camping trip and you won't be able to just head back when things get hairy," said Lightning a bit miffed at the sudden request. Kirin couldn't very well say that he was a Fal'Cie and that combat is nothing for him so he challenged Lightning to a sparring match instead just to prove that he can handle himself. Kirin would just have to make sure that he only show a little of his prowess in the arts of combat, just enough to let him in on the trip.

Lightning agreed just as quickly. She didn't trust the young man since the timing was just too much of a coincidence to be taken lightly. She thought that the young man might be connected to threat that is looming over their heads.

Clad in nothing but a tight fitting black shirt and camouflage pants, Kirin let Lightning lead the way to where they should spar. Since it was obvious that the bedroom wasn't a proper place, Lightning led the party to the outskirts of the town just where it was safe for the spar to occur.

Of course, it wasn't as if there would be that much of a damage to the surroundings since magic was out of the question. And it wasn't like Lightning could use magic anyways. Kirin would have been more than capable but using them would only arouse more questions than needed.

"So how do you want to do this?" asked Kirin.

"First to the ground loses, no weapons, got it," said Lightning. Without a hitch in the beat, Lightning made the first move and attacked straight on. The first punch was easily dodged by Kirin and it looked like he wasn't even trying. Hope sat at the side lines both amazed and nervous.

The punch was followed by a sweep that Kirin saw coming but didn't bother to dodge. It looked as though Kirin would have fallen, but he caught himself on one hand and did a back flip to avoid from falling on the floor.

Hope was amazed with the other's flexibility and the way he moved seemed like a dance rather than a defensive maneuver.

Lightning, on the other hand, was not amused and only increase the intensity of her attacks. She kept up a slurry of attacks, but every single one of them were either blocked or dodged by Kirin. Lightning, finally getting winded, slowed down a bit on the attack but made sure that each hit carried a bit more strength behind it.

Light used her prowess and agility to attack Kirin with a three step combination. She used a punch head on as a decoy that Kirin slapped away followed by another sweep that Kirin dodged by jumping up, but right when he was in mid-air, Light kicked high up from her crouching position that caught Kirin by surprise and sent him sprawling a couple feet away, and ultimately getting knocked down on the ground.

Hope, while on the sideline, saw that Kirin could have easily gotten away from the kick but chose to ignore it since he knew that showing too much too soon would cause suspicions to arise.

"I lost," stated Kirin lamely.

"You were holding back, you didn't even try to land a single punch," said Light in reply.

"So you'll let me go right?" asked Kirin.

Lightning nodded in reply and helped the young man up. Hope cheered in joy as his new so called friend was permitted to tag along. Lightning then excused herself saying that she'll get her items in order so that they can leave soon. After all, it was in their best interest to leave before the sun starts to go down so that they can cover more ground.

"So uh, why this look?" asked Hope as he looked up at Kirin and smiled.

"Oh! You mean why I took this form?" asked Kirin to clarify the question to which Hope nodded to. "" The thing is, I really do look like this."

"Huh? I thought that your other form, the cat thingy was your real form?" asked Hope in his confusion.

"Yeah, that is also me," stated Kirin then he started to explain that since the Creator had made him separate from the human and the Fal'Cie he had abilities that each of them had separately. It meant that Kirin was both a Fal'Cie and a mortal. He is able to switch back and forth and shift through either of his form anytime.

"So does that mean that you're not really a Fal'Cie but like something else altogether?" asked Hope.

"I guess so," said Kirin while in thought, "I've never thought of that, I always assumed I was just both a Fal'Cie and human at the same time but I guess I really am just one of a kind."

"Maybe that's why you weren't destroyed with the rest of the Fal'Cie because you weren't really a Fal'Cie to begin with," offered Hope for explanation.

"Yeah!" cheered Kirin. He then flopped down on the ground sitting Indian style with his legs crossed and arm crossed as well. Hope giggled at the other's cheery disposition and sat next to his new found friend.

"So why did we have to go through all of this when you could have just followed us without anyone knowing?" asked Hope of his new found comrade.

"Well, I figured that if I tried to pop out and Lightning or Snow was around then that might be a problem," stated Kirin calculatedly.

"Oh! That does make sense! So if you came along then popping out of nowhere would be the least of our worries!" said Hope excitedly.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see this thing through to the end," said Kirin. Hope nodded in understanding then ushered his new friend with him so that they can finally meet up with Snow and Lightning since the two were bound to be waiting for them. Hope led the way sprinting ahead while Kirin walked leisurely a few steps behind.

Kirin sighed and picked up the pace and all the while thinking…

_ "I wonder if my vision will come to pass…"_

To Be Continued…

A/N: Thanks for reading! By the way, I'm so sorry that this one is so late. I planned on finishing this chapter like a month ago but something in the plot changed so I had to do a re-write for this chapter then school got in the way so it's really late… Anyway, thanks again!


	4. Ch 4: Just a Little Downtime

Disclaimer: The characters in the story aren't mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game. Thanks... :)

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~**  
Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 4: Just a Little Downtime  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

"Tell me again why we're heading to whatever's left of Cocoon?" asked Snow as he trailed behind Lightning, Hope, and Kirin. Snow was still a little unsure about the new guy, but he chalked it up to his pride being threatened due to the fact that he had gotten so used to being the bigger man in the group. With Kirin present, it felt like he had a rival in both the height and looks department.

"Because Hope said that he had a vision about Fang and Vanille and he wanted to check up on it," said Light evenly and continued, "but I want to talk to you about Kirin." Light slowed down and took pace with Snow to take their conversation seriously.

"What about him? Hope seems to like him well enough," said Snow with a slight annoyance tinged in his voice. Light nodded in understanding. She knew that it was true, the two seemed to have hit things off without a hitch, but Lightning was still wary since none of them knew about Kirin up until just about a couple of days ago before leaving Oerba.

"That's the thing, no one in Oerba knew anything about him," said Lightning.

"You checked up on him? I guess that's to be expected," replied Snow in turn.

"You act like that surprises you, I did the same for you when you and Serah got together," said Lightning nonchalantly.

"You did? Damn, how did I not know that?" Snow chuckled a little before diverting back to their previous topic. "So what do we do about him then?"

"Nothing for now, but let's just keep an eye out just in case," replied Lightning. Lightning seemed to take the stranger's sudden appearance in stride but then again, Light never was the type to just lose control of her emotions unlike Snow who pretty much was like an open book.

"Snow, Light! Hurry up!" Hope called out to the other two since they had just arrived at their intended destination to rest for the night. It was originally Snow's plan to just rest and set up camp on the Northern Antrepass of the Archylte Steppe since they were coming out of the MaH'Habara from their way back from Oerba.

Normally, Hope would have agreed with Snow since it was more convenient to just stay in the Archylte Steppe since that was where Cocoon fell and remained suspended in a wrapping of crystal that Fang and Vanille had woven. But this time, he followed Light's idea to set up camp in the Base Camp of Vallis Media where they had set up camp before when Hope had first acquired Alexander. The reason being is that the monsters living in Archylte Steppe had grown larger in number during the past couple of years, and for some reason they gathered near the crystal pillar where the remnants of Cocoon perched. They would be about a day and a half behind schedule, but that was better than the alternative of having been accidentally stepped on by an Adamantortoise while they were blissfully asleep or worse, ambushed by a pack of Behemoth Kings or Megistotherians.

The team had only encountered a few random monsters on their way so far so they weren't tired out by fights, but it was actually Hope and Kirin who did most of the work and the other two did the clean up to whatever baddies got past Hope and Kirin. Hope insisted on taking the lead since he was a L'Cie and Kirin took point with the silverette since Snow and Light couldn't do anything to dissuade the young man.

After setting up camp, Snow gathered up some wood for fire and Light took out the necessary items to cook something for dinner. Kirin, on the other hand, took watch and propped himself up on rock nearby. Hope took the spot next to the taller male when Light insisted that he rest for the moment and just sat back to watch as the night sky glittered with the light of stars unreachable.

"Hope is kind of clingy towards him, don't you think?" asked Snow as he rooted his spot next to his soon to be sister-in-law.

"Yeah, I think he likes him," said Light without having to look up at the two whom Snow referred to.

"You don't think it's kind of weird?" asked Snow. He waited patiently for the other woman to reply, and all the while his curiosity over the woman's lack of surprise grew as well.

"Not really, Hope had admitted to me before that he's into guys," said Lightning in one uninterested breath. Without breaking a beat, Light cooked some meat over the previously lit fire in front of her, only stoking it when needed.

"He did? How come this is the first time I'm hearing it?" asked Snow in obvious disbelief. If one looked closely enough, they would have seen Snow's eyes gleam with something other than surprise but no one was paying that much attention as of the moment.

"That's because for the past year, all that you've heard only had something to do with you and Serah," bit out Lightning in annoyance. Really, it annoyed her that they can be so close to each other, but when other people need to let out some steam and talk, she always seems to be the only one they come to. In Hope's case, his father already knew it prior to coming to Light, but for anyone else who knew they hadn't mentioned a thing. She thought about it for a moment and came to the conclusion that even if Hope was still young, gossiping within earshot of the young man could have probably left them hurt or worse. Ofcourse, everyone in Oerba knew that Hope wouldn't hurt a fly unless it happened to grow a million times larger and started to attack, but being a former L'Cie put everyone else on their guards regardless.

"I'm hurt sis, you know that's not entirely true," quipped Snow back as if to deflect some of the accusation pointed at him, but even he, in his heart of hearts could deny that he had been a bit neglectful of everyone else besides himself and Serah. In fact, if Sazh had asked him how old his son was, Snow wouldn't have been able to answer correctly which could result in a couple of stray bullets his way since the man loved his kid so much he'd be willing to fight the world if necessary.

"Whatever," breathed out Light before adding, "just shut up about it when you speak to Hope, there's really no denying that Hope is attracted to him. So don't say anything that could make them so conscious of you alright," chastised Light in hopes of keeping the tall blonde quiet long enough for her to assess if Hope's new friend was as trustworthy as Hope thought he was.

"Got it!" said Snow enthusiastically. He even added the gesture of zipping his mouth and locking it just for show. Although as soon as he did, he realized that there was some fascination growing on him about Hope due to the newly acquired information, but his being was telling him that it was only because this was the first confirmed gay man he has come across.

"Hope, Kirin! Food is ready!" called out Light as she finished preparing the meal. It wasn't a big meal really, just a couple of cooked fish that they caught from the Sulyya Springs along with some heated canned stew they had brought along. Nonetheless, Hope and Kirin took their place on the opposite side of Light and Snow and silently threaded through their meal.

Snow, on the other hand, was silently watching the two interact. He noticed every gaze that Hope placed upon the taller raven haired man who happened to meet the silverette's own. It annoyed him for some reason that he couldn't quite explain, but then again, it might just have been his pride talking. After all, if he were to ask himself then he'd have to say that he looks much better than Kirin ever will on a good day.

"Alright, I'm turning in," announced Lightning. She got up and went to her tent but not before, "Oh! Kirin, would it be alright if you bunked with Hope since we had only brought three tents?" Kirin answered with a brilliant yes which made Snow bristle silently without anyone noticing. Hope smiled in turn beaming at dark haired Fal'Cie. This only caused Snow's face to sour and made him turn in earlier than he had wanted to.

"Good night Claire!" yelled out Hope as the woman retreated into her tent, but followed it up with a, "good night Snow!" when he noticed the man get up to do the same. Snow answered it with a scowl but since he had his back turned, no one noticed. So to reply, he held up his hands and waved to say his intent that he was turning in for the night, as if it wasn't the least bit obvious.

"You can go to sleep first since I'll be taking first watch," said Kirin.

"Okay, but don't you need to sleep too?" asked Hope in curiosity.

"No, I'm a Fal'Cie remember?" answered Kirin in the form of another question. Hope blushed in understanding and chuckled lightly to cover up his faux pas. To further run from his slight miscalculation, Hope headed for the tent set up for him and bid the handsome Fal'Cie a goodnight.

Hope, now finally away from prying eyes, giggled in delight as he recalled the way Kirin looked in the harsh bright of day. Being true to himself in the confines of his own tent, he openly admitted to himself that he was very much attracted to Kirin's human form. He could feel himself harden to the thought of someone as gorgeous as Kirin holding him and taking him to extreme heights he'd never had the chance to explore before. But reality struck a chord when a rather strong gust of wind breezed by his tent. He quickly sobered up to the fact that he was out in the middle of nowhere in a tent with no way to clean up if needed. Groaning in obvious discontent, he let his heated body cool down enough so that he could try to get some sleep.

It felt like an hour later to Hope, though it was really only about half an hour later, that Hope concluded sleep would not be reached since his mind kept conjuring images of him and a colony of anonymous guys with hard bodies and stiff erections in various positions that his subconscious desires wished to happen. When frustration won out, Hope left his tent to get some air and maybe clear his mind off of the perversely delicious things that he could be doing. Upon noticing that Kirin hasn't seemed to have budged from his spot on the rock overlooking the rest of the area, Hope joined him and took up the space next to the taller young man.

"Can't sleep?" asked Kirin while he scanned the area for immediate danger.

"Yeah, I have a lot of things on my mind, so I thought I'd come out for fresh air," answered the other.

"Well if you want, I can cast sleep on you so you'll be able to," said the elder male.

"No, it's okay, I'll just stay here until I get to sleep," muttered Hope.

"Okay," said Kirin as he felt Hope lay his head on his shoulders. They both shifted a little until they found a comfortable spot where Kirin was still propped up against the boulder on his back with Hope sitting next to him with his head on the crook of his neck.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," murmured Hope as he felt a wave of drowsiness course through him.

"You know, it's funny because from my birth, this is the first time I've ever just stopped to look at the stars at night like this," said Kirin sincerely to the younger man next to him.

"Really? That reminds me, I was meaning to ask you but what did you usually do in the times when you're not needed?" asked Hope. His questioned was followed by a soft yawn that wracked his entire frame in a small chill. Without being asked to, Kirin produced a small blanket from out of nowhere and blanketed the smaller man next to him. Hope thanked him in return and urged the other to answer his unanswered question.

"Well, I don't really do much of anything besides dream," answered Kirin. "I mostly remember the times where I used to mingle with people and Fal'Cie from Gran Pulse, but when something started changing between them, the Creator put me to sleep."

"Why?" asked Hope who now closed his eyes as he listened to the other's tale.

"He said I'll be needed in the future, so from then on I only awoke in times of great danger," supplied the Fal'Cie.

"Just like now," muttered Hope, "but what changed between the Fal'Cie and the humans?"

"Well, I guess people call it evolution but all I know is that the Fal'Cie started to gain more power while the humans lost their innate abilities to conjure magics," Kirin paused as he felt Hope's breath even out against the skin on the nape of his neck.

"Good night Hope," muttered Kirin lowly to avoid waking the other. Figuring out that Hope had finally fallen asleep; he ruffled the silverette's hair in amusement then went back to scanning the area like he was supposed to.

He just hoped that nothing would bother them for the rest of the night so the little one would be able to sleep, after all, when day break hits, a wave of spiraling events would be set in motion.

TO BE CONTINUED!

A/N: Sorry for the late addition to this story but I was on vacation! YAY! I finally got my ideal tan while swimming and cruising! Anyway, reviews would be greatly appreciated! Thank you again for reading!


	5. Ch 5: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Disclaimer: I don't own FFXIII and the characters in the story aren't mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game. Thanks... :)

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~**  
Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 5: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

When Lightning woke up from slumber, she couldn't help but think that something was a little off. Noticing that the sun had completely settled in the horizon. It told her that no one had bothered to wake her up for her shift. Which begged to question, who was on the lookout?

Scrambling out of her make shift tent, she was startled to find Hope bundled up with the newcomer as he laid with his head on the other's lap while sleeping unabashedly. The unguarded look he had on his face had Lightning questioning herself whether or not she needed to break up the obviously romantic mood between them.

As she watched the two in delight, with any qualms about the forgotten shift lost in the wind, another watched warily as if oozing malice from their very core.

As Light noticed the darkening aura that surrounded Snow, she couldn't help but wonder whether or not the blonde was merely being possessive since Light obviously felt that way for her supposed younger brother or if he was truly jealous. The latter is what causes her room for concern since the tall blond's affection could only bring tears to another... One way or another.

Acting like a spectator, Light watched the scene unfold in front of her. Snow strode in with blazing eyes as he shook the only sleeping person in the party. Kirin was unaffected by the unwelcomed intrusion and seemed almost passive as the alluring silverette stirred from his spot.

"Wake up kiddo," said Snow in a low soothing voice as he tried to pry the sleeping silver haired boy from the clutches of slumber.

Hope finally rubbed his eyes as he tried to adjust to his waking state, he still felt groggy from having just woken up but his mind was jolted into consciousness due to the proximity he found between himself and the two other males in their party.

Blushing despite himself, Hope scrambled out of Kirin's lap only to stumble as he tried to get up swiftly. This time, it was Snow who caught the almost falling silverette which only fueled the red tint that smeared across the poor boy's face. Time froze for both as they stayed frozen in place without having realized it yet.

"Can you let go of me now?" asked Hope. Snow let go of the arm he hadn't realized he'd been clutching. Hope, out of embarrassment, scrambled to his feet in no time and proclaimed that he'll be ready to leave in a couple of minutes.

Light chuckled in amusement over the boy's flustered actions and assured him that he could take his time since it was still rather early and their destination was already within reach.

When the initial situation died down, the group packed up and made their way back to the crystal pillar. They had previously passed the pillar on purpose due to the need of a safe shelter for the night, but with the break of dawn came the chance to re-examine the pillar that housed two of the bravest people that Hope had ever met.

"So tell me again why we're headed to the pillar in the first place?" asked Snow as the group trekked their way along rocky and unpaved roads.

"I had a vision about it when I got my mark so I figured I'd find whatever I need to go on from there," answered Hope to appease the frustrated blond.

It had been glaringly obvious to Hope and everyone else that Snow had pent up frustration growing ever since the morning fiasco, but it was just Light who mulled around the idea in her head. This worried her a little bit but said nothing of it and prompted instead to observing for the moment.

It seemed obvious to everyone else besides Hope that the real problem lied elsewhere rather than the obvious discontent of the blonde over the road on which they traveled. As the group carried on, they reached the foot of their destination in record time. It was partly due to the pushy blond that they went on with such haste after all. The rest conceded to the fact that the irritable blond would only hinder their progress if left in such a state.

"Wow, this certainly brings up memories, most of which aren't happy or nice at all," said Hope as he looked up at the crystal pillar as it towered over them casting a shadow from where they stood. The shadow reached beyond what they could see due to the height of the pillar, considering that it held up the remains of what used to be Cocoon.

With Light and Snow in agreement to the previous statement, Hope asked the others to go around the perimeter and see if they can find anything out of the ordinary, though they wouldn't even know where to start. So to cover more ground, Snow headed north, Light to the west, Kirin to the east and Hope stayed around his initial area since they had started from the south as a group.

As the others circled the wide perimeter, Hope looked around hoping to see some semblance of what he needed. Even Kirin had no idea as to what it is that they are looking for, but they kept some hope alive that they might just find it even if by sheer dumb luck. Though knowing their luck, they might not even need it since bad things tend to be drawn to them through no fault of their own.

"What am I even looking for?" asked Hope to himself as he looked around. There was nothing physically different about the landscape rather than the fact that a crystal pillar jutted up from the ground and towered over the massive land as it held up the remains of Cocoon. It was then that curiosity sparked within Hope. What if it wasn't something that they were looking but rather, someone? Looking up, he could barely make out the base of the once Cocoon, but a tiny glimmer caught his attention.

He directed his focus onto the small glimmer and could only barely make out the point of impact from where Ragnarok housed the crystallized bodies of Fang and Vanille.

"What if it's them that I need to save?" asked Hope out loud to no one in particular.

"Why don't you try to then?" asked Kirin from behind Hope as he walked towards the young man with a cat-like elegance.

"I would, but it's not exactly easy to climb up something like that," answered Hope without tearing his eyes away from his intended destination.

"Then use your L'Cie powers, after all, they're there for a reason," countered the calm cat humanoid. Hope smiled in response, and begun to summon an aeroga spell.

Having been adept at magic from the beginning, it was easy for Hope to conjure spell after spell of aerogas aimed at the ground below to propel himself higher and higher as if to mimic flying. Hope was so focused on his intent that he miscalculated a spell and sent himself crashing onto the flat side of the pillar where the spikes protruded out.

Even with the rough landing, Hope ended up in the area where he needed to be. Facing the now frozen Ragnarok, which housed his late friends, Hope wondered as to what it is that he was supposed to do. After all, Snow had tried to break Serah out of the crystal cocoon once but to no avail. All he had to show for that moment of brief idiotic bravery was a battered hand along with some cuts and bruises.

"So what do I do now?" asked Hope out loud to no one in particular.

Looking over Ragnarok, Hope could clearly see that there were now cracks on the once smooth and unyielding structure. Hope touched the groove and the cracks but then his fingers glowed a faint green upon which a slight tingle could be felt as if it danced on his fingertips. Hope could feel some sort of power pouring out from within the cracks.

He could almost make out the figure of Vanille and Fang somewhere inside, closer to the core. He so desperately wanted to get them out of there and maybe allow them to live their lives as before, but he didn't know where to start so he started hammering the pillar with various magical spells that he knew. Hope started casting a series of spells varying from simple elemental spells like Thundaga to much stronger spells like Flare and Ultima.

Time raged on yet each attack that bombarded the pillar proved useless. There seemed to be no change to the crystal pillar's surface to act as proof of the damage it should have taken. The surface still gleamed and shone under the brilliance of the sun.

"Why is nothing working?" yelled Hope out loud in frustration. His voice was laced with a treble that shook his frame as each word was spoken. Feeling winded from casting spell after spell, Hope opted to sit down to rest for a bit, but an interesting and dangerous thought occurred to him that might make a difference.

He was going to transform into Ragnarok. At least, that is what he intended to do. He figured that since the crystal pillar was made by the colossal powers of Ragnarok then he should be able to somewhat tap into the flowing aura radiating from the previous Ragnarok to awaken it once more but only with him in control of the legendary beast this time around. Well, that was what he had hoped would happen. He knew there was also a chance that he could lose control and go on a rampage or it might not even work at all.

"Well, no time like the present to try," muttered Hope. He wasn't exactly happy with transforming into the hideous beast since the last time someone did, it was brought on by catastrophic events.

As hope touched the crystal pillar, he let the tingling sensation override his senses along with anger, pain, and suffering to take a hold of his being. He knew, without a doubt that it needed these feelings as a trigger to release Ragnarok. His silver hair started to change and become darker in hue as it tinged to an almost deep rich dark brown that flowed behind him like a curtain entertaining the wind as it swayed gracefully. His skin turned an angry red mimicking the color found in scorching lava.

For some reason, Hope's transformation wasn't the same as the previous form that Fang and Vanille had taken. His form looked rather elegant instead of bulked up and had a certain air of grace about each movement as if it was Shiva in its stead.

As the form completed, a cloud of dust settled around him as the energy winding around him stilled and died down as well. Left in its quake was a creature with long dark brown tresses with a tall stature that's lightly muscled but its power was undeniable. As it settled with the new found power, Ragnarok let a small smile be displayed on its almost angelic face.

It was completely in control, and it was out to have some fun.

Meanwhile, as Kirin watched the transformation take hold, the remainder of the party came rushing back as soon as they felt the overwhelming pressure of the new power unleashed.

"What's going on?" asked Lightning in panic. The tremendous power felt familiar and it worried her. She didn't even have to ask Snow if he had sensed it since the blond came rushing back as well.

"Ragnarok," said Kirin in slight amazement. He knew from being a Fal'Cie himself that it would take tremendous suffering or experience for a L'Cie to turn into one. He could only assume that having been a previous candidate for Ragnarok allowed him to turn so much quicker than it should have taken.

Just as the three gathered in astonishment, the topic at hand appeared before them.

"Hope! What are you doing?" asked Snow with a small lace of anger. He couldn't help that he was worried for the boy since he knew from experience that Ragnarok could only bring forth calamity beyond imagining.

Without another word, it attacked and headed straight for Snow. It rushed in and had made to punch the blond, but Kirin intercepted and deflected back the blow. With another growl, it launched itself once more and this time aimed at Light. It summoned up a slurry of blizzagas that connected and threw her a couple of feet away and had knocked her out. Snow, outraged, went on the offensive and was able to connect a couple of well placed punches and kicks but it didn't affect it at all. Yet it reacted and flung the blond away. Snow staggered up to his feet but the damage taken was too much and he could barely get up.

It was then that Kirin casted a series of revival and recovery spells aimed at Light and Snow. It rejuvenated their tired bodies enough for them to take another stand.

Kirin then took to the offensive and rushed in to rear a punch towards the rampaging Ragnarok, but the beast parried and countered. The two were locked in close combat with neither side giving way.

Light and Snow, still recovering from their dazed states saw the two exchanging punches and kicks and could only marvel at the stunning exchange. With neither side faltering, Light went in to assist Kirin by firing a couple of well aimed shots towards Ragnarok. The beast wasn't the least bit damaged, but it took attention away from Kirin which helped ease of the attacks a little bit.

She definitely caught it's attention since it reared its head in her direction. As the monster moved to make its move, Snow came out of nowhere to tackle it, causing it to misstep and lose ground.

Snow tried to pin it down with all his might, and for a moment, looked like he had been successful. But the beast let loose a deafening growl, and pushed itself up with ease before throwing the tall blond aside as if merely dead weight.

"Hope! Dammit! Wake the fuck up!" shouted Snow as he hit the ground. Then as if it heard the blond man's gruff and pained voice, the beast stopped moving.

Everyone stilled as if to sense the sudden change as well. Only when they had looked at the beast's eyes did they notice that the lust for blood was gone and replaced with what looked to be, remorse.

"Thanks." It was all Snow heard before Ragnarok leaped high into the air and once again almost out of sight.

Silence descended amongst the group up until a blinding flash of light and two distinct piercing cries of shock were heard.

"Help! I don't know how to fly!" cried out one of the voices. The other merely fell silent to brace themselves from the imminent impact but nothing came.

As the pair opened their eyes when they noticed that they stopped moving, they were surprised to see that they had already landed on the ground without realizing it.

"How are we alive?" asked the taller woman towards her younger counterpart who was still shivering from the shock.

"That would be thanks to this big guy right here," answered Snow as he sauntered up towards the pair alongside Lightning and Kirin.

The reunited members could only smile as they gazed at each other in disbelief. They had long since accepted the fact that they might never see each other again, but this... this was real and almost bittersweet.

"Long time no see Fang... Vanille."

TO BE CONTINUED!

A/N: SORRY! This is such a late update! I totally lost my plot bunny and my inspiration for this fic, but I still hope to complete it one day… :)) thanks for reading!


	6. Ch 6: Fight or Flight

Disclaimer: I don't own FFXIII and the characters in the story aren't mine. They belong to their respected owners, I do however take ownership over the plot of this story but not on the plot of the original story in the FFXIII game nor the Fabula Nova Crystallis lore. Thanks... :)

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~**  
Forget Goodbye**

Snow x Hope

Chapter 6: Fight or Flight  
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Snow, Light, Vanille, and Fang had been reunited but it wasn't a happy one. It hadn't even been one second after they met each other again that they noticed Hope was keeping up what was left of Cocoon. With Vanille and Fang's crystallization gone, Hope, or rather, Ragnarok was the only reason they were all still standing and not crushed underneath the giant paradise. Hope was holding up the remains of cocoon by what looked like a swirling mass of energy. At that, they turned to Kirin for answers. Everything that happened finally gave Light the answer that she needed about him. Seeing him handle Ragnarok only proved to her that he was a Fal'cie, nothing else could handle that amount of sheer force. Kirin then went on to explain how it was that he came about to ask Hope's help and how he could freely change his body. Even with the facts surfacing, nothing gave them any assurance that Hope would be fine. They were all worried that if his strength runs out, everything underneath the gigantic structure will perish.

By now, it was getting more and more obvious that the tremendous amount of energy needed to hold up cocoon was taking a toll on Hope's body. The smallest of flickers between a steady stream of energy clued them that the breaking point was near. Snow felt hopeless as he watched Hope take on the world alone. This had him thinking. Hadn't he always assumed the role of a hero? Hadn't he always told Hope that he would protect him? Why was he so weak now? If only he was stronger.

Those thoughts swirled around his head, but it was Kirin who had a plan. He started gathering energy at the palm of his hands. Each hand glowed angry red. It almost looked as if molten lava was being compacted onto the palm of his hand.

"Hope! If you can hear me, hold on just a little longer! I have a plan!" shouted Kirin at the top of his lungs. It might have been the faintest of voices as it reached Hope, but it was enough of encouragement to renew his waning strength.

It could have been a couple of hours later or merely just minutes, but to everyone there every second felt like forever. Kirin's preparation for his attack was taking quite a bit of time as the energy he needed would exceed anything he has ever used before. Hope on the other hand was growing tired as the minutes dragged on. Until finally the last of his strength left him and he fell. His body was too exhausted that his ragnarok form dissipated as his body fell from the sky. At that moment, Cocoon started to fall with increasing momentum and it was only thanks to Fang and Light that Hope wasn't crushed when he fell. It was only by mere split second later that Kirin let loose his gathered energy and fired it straight to the ruins of Cocoon.

The impact was so strong that it completely engulfed the artificial satellite and reduced it to ashes. And just like Hope, Kirin's strength was completely sapped which caused him to pass out. The least the others could do was take care of their wounded. They set up camp and guarded the two from the wild life, which wasn't necessary due to the fact that the surrounding wild life dared not to come around due to fear from the awesome display of powers that Kirin and Hope's ragnarok unleashed.

As the next morning rolled in, Hope awoke to the beginnings of a sunrise. It was Snow that stood guard as the rest of the party slumbered.

"Good morning," said Hope as he sauntered up to the silent man. The only hint of acknowledgement that Hope got was the slight nod and small smile that played across Snow's handsome features. It was almost heartbreaking that the smile could seem so happy and sad at the same time.

"Sorry," said snow almost like a whisper that it was almost entirely missed.

"What for?" asked Hope who was entirely confused at the direction the conversation was going.

"I couldn't help you." It wasn't just Snow's ego that was crushed by his lack of power, but he was also truly remorseful that he wasn't able to protect anyone like he promised. Hope, on the other hand, knew exactly what Snow was saying. As to what happened next, Hope himself couldn't explain it. As Snow looked away to face the rising sun, Hope draped his body onto Snow's back and ended it with a tender hug.

It took Snow by surprise. He felt flustered and almost out of breath by the crushing force of overwhelming desire that he felt. He was distracted by the small even breathing that hit the back of his neck. It took all he had not to move lest he ruined the mood.

"I'm sorry for this. Just think of it as my selfishness," whispered Hope as he started to let go. It surprised both of them that Snow's body seemed to act on its own as Snow twirled around and pulled Hope's face down to his only to give him a crushing kiss. Heat spread across Hope's face as the action finally dawned on him. He was kissing an engaged man. Not only that but it was Snow. The man engaged to be married to Serah.

Hope broke off the kiss with a slightly horrified expression. He was feeling guilty and disoriented. He was completely out of his element. In his sudden panic, his eidolon was summoned. The head knight grabbed Hope and switched to gestalt mode as it sped away in its tank form.

The commotion woke the rest of the party, but it was Light's blazing eyes that caught everyone's attention. She walked up to Snow and slapped him right across the face.

"Why can't you think for once?" shouted Lightning. It became obvious to Snow that Light must have seen what transpired between the two and what caused the ruckus just moment ago. "Fix this." Lightning was beside herself in the matter. She didn't know whether to let them be or let them work it out, but if Hope's L'cie mark got any worse then the end product wouldn't have meant much after all.

Snow ran after the eidolon without another word. Fang and Vanille were confused but dared not to ask. With Snow and Hope gone and with the heavy atmosphere lifted, Fang and Vanille went to check on Kirin who, in the middle of everything, had not yet woken.

Hope was taken out towards Yaschas Massif by his eidolon. The eidolon must have sensed that he needed to flee and since he was unable to do so himself, the eidolon acted on its own. It's not that he wasn't grateful but his mind kept replaying the image in his mind over and over again.

He wanted to blush, to cry, to scream for joy but everything was jumbled up that he couldn't discern which one he really wanted to do. So he did it all, he started laughing like a madman as a soft red colored blush was painted across his face from the tip of his ears and even down to the neck. Without truly meaning to cry, tears were starting to fall down his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe them as they just seemed to run down like a small steady stream.

"What do I do now?" asked Hope to the eidolon who stood by his side. It wasn't as if he was ungrateful to his eidolon but he sorely missed Alexander. The first eidolon who came to him at his time of doubt and need.

"_I am always at your side."_

Hope was taken back. He just heard Alexander's voice. He was sure of it. It wasn't uncommon for the eidolon to speak through the minds of their summoners when a bond was established, but he didn't think that he could talk to an eidolon that wasn't in the physical world.

"Where are you?" asked Hope, secretly wishing for the other to appear once more. The answer came in the form of his current eidolon. The tank like gestalt form started to undo and once the 13 knights were assembled, they knelt down and bowed their heads.

"Are you really Alexander?" asked Hope once more anticipating the answer.

"_Yes, I have shed the form of the rook, a mere vessel of protection, and assumed the role of a knight, a cradle for justice."_

"Is it even possible for eidolons to change?"

"_We are a reflection of our charge, we change as our summoners do. You are no longer the child I was to defend, you are now a young man that longs to protect therefore I am made."_

Though the explanation may be simple, it was enough to grasp the concept. However, it served to give him the answers he needed.

"Thank you." Hope was feeling better now, but still did not have the desire to stir from his spot. He laid down the soft patch of grass. He could remember the time when he was talking to Vanille in this very same spot about having made a promise to see Gran Pulse. The conversation might have made sense to Vanille, but he was secretly talking about something else entirely. When he had told Vanille that sometimes you have to lie to protect someone else so they don't get hurt, he was really talking about himself. He had to lie about his budding feelings for Snow to protect Serah and himself from getting hurt.

Now things are bound to unravel, and with his limited time he doesn't know if he has the courage to travel alongside someone who can mess with his emotions simply by looking at him. With the eidolon's time at its end, it started disappearing in front of his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Hope whirled around only to find the pained look on Snow's face. He was powerless against that look. He had once been set to kill the man in front of him as revenge for the death of his mother, and now he couldn't even hate the man who stands in front of him. "It's you."

"What do you feel for me?" asked Snow.

"Why does that even matter?" Hope was up on his feet in no time. Though the fast movement caused his vision to slightly blur, he stood his ground.

"Because it does to me, dammit!" anger was laced in Snow's voice, but there was something else there. Hoping, perhaps?

"I-" Hope couldn't look Snow in the eye as he continued, "I love you."

"Since when?" Snow was taken aback by the sudden confession, but he had to know.

"I don't know. Just leave please." Hope no longer felt like giving him more than a clipped confession. Just having said it out loud was enough for Hope. Never had he imagined that he'd even make it this far. With his back turned, he hoped for Snow to just walk away.

"I think I love you too." Snow was as sincere as he could. He could only count on his words to get the message across.

"We can't," said Hope.

"Why not?" asked Snow.

"You have Serah."

"I don't want to marry Serah if there was any doubt. She'll understand."

"What about me? Am I just something you try on, and if you figure out you hate the idea then you throw me out?" Hope was pained. He didn't know how to handle this. He was torn between betraying Serah and just giving in.

"That's not-" started Snow but was cut off.

"You're selfish."

"You knew that." Snow was beside himself, silently wishing for Hope to understand his side. It was heartbreaking yet eye-opening at the same time.

"I can't, I'm selfish too. If I can't have all of you then I'd rather give you up." Standing up to Snow this way was exactly what he needed. He had been able to get out all that he was hiding, and it suddenly dawned on him what he needed to do.

"So you're just going to leave?" asked Snow.

"You and I know it won't be long before I turn into a Cie'th or if I crystallize after I finish my focus." Hope started, "Plus with my L'Cie mark showing the red eye, I'm in the final stages. It must have happened when I used ragnarok's powers."

"Why do you have to leave?"

"This is my goodbye. I hope you and Serah live happily." Hope tried to smile, but his eyes told a different story.

"What will you do? Where will you go?" asked Snow. He was seriously concerned, but he didn't know how to stop Hope from leaving. He couldn't very well just throw out his vows to Serah just because he had stirring feelings for Hope. The fact that he even had one should have disgusted him, but the thought never even crossed his mind,

"He's coming with me." From out of nowhere, what looked to be like Kirin burst forth. It had both the human and Fal'cie traits visible. He was humanoid in looks, but his eyes were that of a cat, his cat-like ears protruded from the top of his head, and he had a tail coming out of his backside that split in two towards the end. His skin was also that of a human except for the cat-like parts which were covered in midnight black fur.

"Wha-" before Snow could ask what happened, a sharp icicle that was thrown formed from the tip of Kirin's fingertips and pierced Snow's left arm with such force that he was toppled a couple of feet away. Hope, through all this, merely stood in silence without moving an inch. Snow called out to Hope, but one look at Hope's face and he knew the silver haired young man was no longer in control. Hope's eyes were glazed over, and his facial expression left nothing discernible. There was no trace that the young man in front of him could have been the emotional young man they all knew.

"Stop this Bhunivelze!" shouted Lightning as she approached followed by Fang and Vanille.

"You have no right to call me that human! You are a product of my failure! Tell Etro I have found my answer. All humans must perish!" Hope and the now revealed Bhunivelze disappeared behind a swirling dark energy.

"Don't leave… I promised to protect you…"

With blood gushing out from his arm, Snow succumbed to the darkness. He fell unconscious in mere moments with the thoughts of Hope swirling in his head. Not even Light's shouts, Vanille's cries, and Fang's frustrated howl could pierce the darkness' iron curtains. Only death awaits.

TO BE CONTINUED!

A/N: Wow, this was such a long time coming. I have been having a hard time trying to get what I want to say down with words I pretty much changed the plot at the last minute so now my original manuscript is useless... *sigh* I will be a better writer! *roar!* hehe :) Well, I hope to read what you think about this chapter! Leave me a review please! :) Thanks!


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